the board game market | France

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

Tabletop games, that include board games, have distinguished themselves by their ability to survive through the ages and, even today, they are still at the heart of the leisure consumption habits of the French. Indeed, from Go to Monopoly or 1000 terminals, board games have gained a special place in the leisure habits of French households. like Dungeons and Dragons or Diplomacy, some games create and gather entire communities and a myriad of derivative products.

Difficult to define in absolute terms, board games are generally characterized by

• A more or less complex game rule;
• A minimum of 2 participants
• The need for one or more material supports (game board, counters, pen, dice, cards)

The main strength of the board game market is the attraction of French players for board games. Indeed, as mentioned above, more than 85% of French people play board games regularly, which makes them one of the most fond of this type of entertainment in the world. The board game sector in France has a multitude of players, more and more numerous, and it is becoming difficult for independent publishers to stand out. This diversity gives consumers more purchasing power and they can afford to be more demanding.

Despite the revolution it represents, the advent of digital technology has not disrupted the board game market, which still finds takers, representing about 18% of the toy market .

The containment and the crisis of the COVID-19 confirmed the good health of the sector. According to an article published by Le Point, about one board game was sold per second during the containment period. More globally, board game sales exploded by 11% over 2020 compared to 2019.